Dry mouth or xerostomia is caused by a decrease in the activity of salivary glands. The reduction of the salivary flow can result in discomfort, interfere with speech and swallowing, make wearing dentures difficult, cause halitosis, and impair oral hygiene by causing a decrease in oral pH and an increase in bacterial growth. Longstanding dry mouth can result in severe tooth decay and oral candidiasis. Dry mouth is a common complaint among older adults, affecting about 20% of the elderly.
The causes of dry mouth are different and involve many factors such as stress, infection of salivary glands or the use of drugs such as anticholinergics, antiparkinsonians, antineoplastics, radiation to the head and neck (for cancer treatment) or it may be also associated to certain diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome and HIV/AIDS, uncontrolled diabetes, and other disorders.
Dry mouth is currently treated with mouth rinses, topical applications, salivary substitutes, or salivary stimulants such as sugarless candies and chewing gum. Some saliva stimulants are commercially available. The current treatments focus on relieving the symptoms and preventing dental cavities. Artificial saliva products are often the treatment of choice for xerostomia patients.
Dry mouth can make oral soft tissues such as oral mucous membrane, gingival tissue and taste buds on tongue more vulnerable to damage physically, physicochemically and biologically. However existing treatments/products does not solve the problem of soft tissue trouble. The present compositions solve this problem due to the effect of protection and repair promotion of the oral soft tissues.
Mouth ulcers and oral lesions are inflammatory forms which occur on the oral mucosa with erythematous lesions similar to burns and injuries, such painful ulcers making it difficult chewing and swallowing, compromising the quality of life of the patient. They are painful because a layer of the oral mucosa has been removed, exposing the nerve endings beneath.
There are a number of various causes, including poor-fitting braces and dentures, physical or chemical trauma, dry mouth, taking immuno-suppressive medications, burns, allergies, infection from microorganisms or viruses. Once formed, the ulcer may be maintained by inflammation and/or secondary infection. Two common oral ulcer types are aphthous ulcers (canker sores) and cold sores. Cold sores can be caused by the herpes simplex virus.
Mouth ulcers are managed with topical rinses, topical gels and liquids, behavioural modifications, analgesics and preventive measures.